Only been kiting for about 4-5yrs but windsurfing for 15-20 and all my wetsuits died because of over use, mainly were your grip onto it to pull it over body parts.
Never had a problem. 17 years kitesurfing, 18 years windsurfing. The worst has been some scuff marks around the edges, and around the leg straps when I used to have a seat harness. Only cosmetic wear. Never any kind of tears.
Wetsuits seem crap these days. My old one, that I can still squeeze into, is still in good nick, but new ones only seem to last a season or so. Cheap materials?
latest is billabong. rips on the side from the pulling and twisting.
I went to a shop once and the clerk was repairing 4 brand new diving wetsuits that had ripped from just people trying them on. I think these may have had the smooth rubber inner without the cloth lining.
My current winter suits are an 11 year old RipCurl Fireskin and a 4 year old Rip Curl E-Bomb. They're both like new apart from a little minor cosmetic wear on the older suit. I ride toeside all the time. The waist harness moves and rubs all it needs to.
I have two winter wetties because they take ages to dry in winter and I kite most days. The E-Bomb dries pretty quickly.
You can easily tear a modern wetsuit if you pull it on wrong. Grabbing a handful of fabric and digging your fingers in and pulling will do it. Having fingernails makes it worse.
You have to ease the wettie on and push rather than pull.
I have two 4/3's and one 4/5, I tend to use cheaper older wetsuits for kiting and keep the good ones for surfing. The 4/3's are O'Neill front zips and I got them for $199. Why are wetsuits are cheaper in Winter? dunno.
Only damage so far some pilling around the waist and a few holes in the bum from being dragged on a reef (easily patched up)
Used to do heaps more damage to them when I was a beginner but don't overspend on a kiting wetsuit
Kuanui said.. Wetsuits seem crap these days. My old one, that I can still squeeze into, is still in good nick, but new ones only seem to last a season or so. Cheap materials?
its so you can only pee into them once and then have buy a new one.
It's worth mentioning that different harnesses have different levels of abrasion too...
My first Dakine harness was great, no wear on anything. I'm now using a Mystic Majestic and while being really comfortable, I can't even ride without a shirt on because I end up bleeding and scabbing over after 2 hours or so on the water. Destroys my wetsuits too obviously and all my rashguards have split at the seams on the sides where it rubs the most.
Definitely going back to a dakine after another season or so.
Kuanui said.. Wetsuits seem crap these days. My old one, that I can still squeeze into, is still in good nick, but new ones only seem to last a season or so. Cheap materials?
its so you can only pee into them once and then have buy a new one.
